The use of fishing tip-up rigs during wintertime ice fishing is common. They allow fishermen the ability to fish from many different fishing holes at one (1) time. The tip-up provides for a reel system that properly places the hook at a location where fish will strike it and holds it there for hours while the fisherman attends to other tasks. When a fish should strike the hook, a spring mechanism releases a pop-up flag to indicate the strike. The fisherman can then attend to the rig and simply pull the fish out of the water.
However, while seemingly simple in design, the conventional tip-up is fraught with disadvantages. It is a common occurrence to have the fishing line tangle, snag, break, or otherwise malfunction, allowing the fish to get away. It is also a common occurrence to have the tip of flag activated by windy conditions and not by a fish hitting the line. Also, when the flag is flipped up, the fisherman knows little about the rate of line deployment, or whether or not the line is even still moving. Some tip-up rig manufacturers have addressed this concern by providing an audible alarm which is activated upon a fish strike. While such audible systems provide some additional information, the loud audible shrill is difficult to differentiate from one fishing tip-up rig to the next. Also, the loud noise disturbs the tranquility and peacefulness of fishing for other fisherman who happen to be in the area as well. While these devices may achieve their purported objective each suffers from one or more disadvantage or deficiency related to design or utilization as described.